Committee flags enrollment decline after 30 families moved out; superintendent to share cleaned withdrawal data

The Blackstone‑Millville Regional School Committee on Aug. 25 examined district enrollment and a one‑year snapshot of student withdrawals that officials said point to a larger community mobility and housing issue.

Superintendent Jason Defalco told the committee the district’s total enrollment was 1,482 students. He said data compiled for July–June show roughly 35 withdrawals at the JFK/AFM complex, about 30 of which were families who moved out of Blackstone or Millville rather than students who left for school choice. "Of all of the withdrawals … 30 of those were because the family moved out of town," he said.

Defalco also reported larger school‑choice interest at the high‑school transition: about 38 middle‑school students sought vocational or ag‑tech options (BVT/Norfolk Aggie) or other pathways, with additional smaller numbers going to charter or homeschool. Committee members discussed the need to distinguish between families who physically move away and families who remain in town but choose other schools, and asked the superintendent to provide cleaned, de‑identified data and a multi‑year trend to inform a cross‑town strategy.

The superintendent said he will remove personal identifiers and deliver a clarified data set to committee members and town administrators to support a coordinated discussion about housing, mobility and retention strategies.